1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to carriers for supporting flexible closures such as shower curtains and draperies from rods.
2. Discussion of Background:
A flexible closure such as a shower curtain or draperies typically is supported from an overhead horizontal support bar or tube attached to the walls by suspension hooks or rings that loosely encircle the bar passing through holes in the upper margin of the curtain. With use, there is a tendency for the shower curtain to separate from suspension hooks. Furthermore, periodically the shower curtain needs to be cleaned, so the hooks or rings must be disconnected from the curtain before laundering.
There are numerous systems for supporting flexible closures. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,676 issued to Terrones, U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,001 issued to Pape, U.S. Pat. No. 3,175,243 issued to Weber, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,227,020 issued to Thompson. More recently, I disclose a flexible closure carrier in U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,148 issued in March 1988.
The characteristics of a good flexible closure support system are that it be easily manufactured, easily assembled, easily installed, and certain in its hold on the supported closure. Additionally, the support system should allow the easy removal of the flexible closure for cleaning and should also have a decorative appearance.
A flexible closure support system having many of these characteristics is described by this applicant in my copending application for patent, Ser. No. 588,365, filed Sep. 26, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,189,758. The system disclosed therein comprises a rod with a channel running lengthwise therein and a carrier assembly that includes a button assembly to which the curtain is fastened. The carrier has a hook on each end, one for receiving and locking a roller assembly, that fits into the channel of the rod, and one for receiving and locking the button assembly. However, this support system can still result in the curtain being pulled loose if the curtain is pulled hard enough. Finally, although a shower curtain is not designed or intended to be a safety device for someone who is slipping or falling in a shower stall, people will instinctively reach out and grab for whatever is within reach. It is therefore better for a shower curtain to be more securely fastened than less.